


Cookies, Coffee, and Cartoons

by Storyflight



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Cartoons!!!, Coffee Shops, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Non-binary Amami, Nonbinary Amami Rantaro, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Shinguji Korekiyo, Other, Pretty OOC and Im sorry, Rantaro wears glasses, References to some RPs I did, Sorry not sorry for the references I put into this fic, They reference some cartoons and shows but there is NO spoilers!!, Trans Male Character, Trans Saihara Shuichi, very mild
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 13:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17529971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storyflight/pseuds/Storyflight
Summary: OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!Dull amber eyes blinked a couple of times when something caught his attention. A sign, white with bold red paint that read “OPEN”“Huh…” he took a couple of steps back and looked up at the building. It...was a cafe. A brand new one.He’s never seen it before, did it officially open when he was in his apartment?Might as well try it out, seems very warm and cosy. Simply staring at it from the glass windows made him less cold.A lovely shade of beige and brown on the walls with plants and fairy lights dangling about.Sure, let’s head inside.





	Cookies, Coffee, and Cartoons

**Author's Note:**

> Hi so
> 
> -I love Amasai so much  
> -A WHOLE LOT  
> -Korekiyo and Rantaro make a great duo and I need more of them.  
> -There are several references I made in here, I'm not sorry  
> -Not my best work, I wanted to do a Coffee AU and BAM this happened  
> -No spoilers for the references though  
> -If you turn your head and squint this is also a Korekiyo/Rantaro fic, or even a "Travelling Trio" one. Your choice my lovelies  
> -Rantaro is adorable in glasses  
> -They mention a death but there are no spoilers connecting with the canon timeline.  
> -Little headcanons are based off roleplays I did as Rantaro and Shuichi. Also from my friend's headcanons as...Rantaro and Shuichi (Thanks L and K)  
> -Rantaro only has one (1) Sister  
> -Me, a Nonbinary, needs more Nonbinary Rantaro

Scarf, jacket, long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and boots.

 

Finally able to go outside.

 

It’s been way too cold for Shuichi to go outside, he wondered how others were able to go about freely in the snow even with proper clothing. It was rather deep in the negatives with several inches of snow.

 

It managed to warm up...as in no longer in the negatives.

 

Snow fell on top of his head as he ventured further through Yokohama. Despite him not being the biggest fan of cold weather, it does look pleasing to the eye.

He enjoyed the scenery of the snow falling, lakes being frozen over, and then watching everyone play about in the white.

Shuichi would do the same, but his friends are busy this time of year. Kaede and Miu went on vacation to somewhere warmer….Costa Rica? They’ve been sending photos of them in the resort, caves, and beaches. It looks so beautiful...he is a fan of beaches, maybe one day he will head over there.

 

Kaito had the training to go into space, so he’s been busy working on that and unable to talk to everyone else outside of his space camp. Himiko was on tour with her magic shows with Angie by her side. Maki had an event involving one of the orphanages in the city. From what he remembered, they were working on a giant talent show.

 

Everyone had someone to do and business to take care of ...besides Shuichi.

Well, he works at a Detective Agency, an intern. He enjoys it, but there’s not much he can do there.

Shuichi is able to help with the clerks’ paperwork, do busy work for the best yet laziest detective in the company, and avoid being injured at all cost.

_That Doctor is scary._

 

He didn’t have to go in today, there was an attack and the President didn’t want him to get hurt. They are capable of heavy violence, Shuichi isn’t. He didn’t mind, but now he’s lonely.

 

“...Hungry” he muttered to himself. Not so hungry to buy a meal, but enough to have a small snack and be satisfied. He doesn’t eat much, so it’ll be sufficient.

 

**OPEN! OPEN! OPEN!**

 

Dull amber eyes blinked a couple of times when something caught his attention. A sign, white with bold red paint that read “OPEN”

 

“Huh…” he took a couple of steps back and looked up at the building. It...was a cafe. A brand new one.

He’s never seen it before, did it officially open when he was in his apartment?

 

Might as well try it out, seems very warm and cosy. Simply staring at it from the glass windows made him less cold.

A lovely shade of beige and brown on the walls with plants and fairy lights dangling about.

Sure, let’s head inside.

 

_Ding ding ding_

 

The bell above him chimed, no one inside paid.

_A bell? Wonder why they have one...the other ones I’ve been to doesn’t._

 

No need to fret, he felt so much better now that he was inside and out of the freezing cold. He took off his jacket, wrapped it around his waist, and headed over to the counter.

 

Two workers were present. One was tall and slim, silky black hair going down to their waist, narrow amber eyes, and a mask covering their mouth. Shuichi couldn’t tell what emotion they were expressing right now...

They give such a creepy but intriguing vibe.

 

The second one was shorter than the other, messy hair with the unique colour of green. They wore thick frame square glasses that fell in the middle of the bridge of their nose. A large smile was the most prominent of their features, followed by their bright emerald eyes and multiple piercings.

They had a happier vibe, but still very mysterious.

 

“Hey Pitaya, did you watch that show I recommend to you?”

“Ah Yes, I find it rather interesting. The use of time-travelling in a blue police box. Why is it like that by the way?”

“Well it used to be able to camouflage wherever it landed, but it broke!”

“Okay, well what about—“

“Nope! I don’t want to say anymore! You have to keeeeeeep watching!”

 

 _Are they talking about…?_ The mention of the Blue Box definitely sealed the deal. That’s one of his favourite shows! He would talk about it with them but wasn’t the best with talking to new people. It’s better when there’s someone there to back him up.

 

“Um...Hello?” Shuichi spoke quietly, staring up at the employees. The two of them stopped, turned their attention to Shuichi, and smiled.

“I’ve never seen your face before, who might you be?” The one who was called ‘Pitaya’ spoke first. Their voice was eerie, almost as if a snake was speaking to him.

 

“Me? I’m Shuichi Saihara, I’ve never seen it before till now”

 

“Hello there, make yourself at home, Blueberry”

 

_Blueberry?_

 

Now the green-haired person spoke. Wow, their voice was a lot deeper than Shuichi expected, it made him jump a bit.

It wasn't threatening at all though, they were so calm and the smile on their face never left.

 

“Oh Rantaro, you and your nicknames for everyone. I do not understand why you are so fond of this trope. Besides, what if they do not enjoy the taste of blueberries?”

“Shuichi looks like a Blueberry” They chuckled, “Do you like blueberries?”

 

“Yes,” They weren’t his favourite, but will eat them.

 

“Alone, in pastries, or beverages?”

 

“Hmm…” Shuichi lowered his eyebrows in thought, “I like smoothies with blueberries in them. I also like eating them alone...but frozen”

 

“You eat them frozen as well? Such a different flavour between freshly picked and frozen. Well...I’m not sure you want our Berry Smoothie, it’s far too cold. Unless that’s your style. We also have blueberry muffins, those are pretty good! The ones in stock are freshly m—“

 

“Please, be quiet” ‘Pitaya’ gently nudged Rantaro and exhaled softly. This must be common…

“Do not overwhelm them…”

 

“Sorry, I went ahead of myself. Whatcha like, Blueberry?”

 

_They're still calling me that? Ah, oh well. It’s a harmless nickname._

 

“That berry smoothie does sound good, so I’ll have that! And to balance it all out...I’ll have a chocolate chip muffin”

 

“Regular or double?”

“...Double Chocolate Chip”

“Milk? Dark? White?”

 

_Wow, Rantaro and Pitaya are really specific with how a customer wants their order._

 

“I like dark”

“Good taste” Pitaya pointed out, “Is that all?”

“That’s it”

 

Once Shuichi was given the price and handed the yen to the two of them, Rantaro nodded in approval and headed to the back of their workspace.

 

“They’re a very social fellow”

“Huh? Who?” Shuichi wasn’t sure if they were talking about Rantaro or someone else.

“My dear friend, Rantaro Amami. They’re probably the reason why we have so many returning customers in the first place. They enjoy giving out nicknames to others. It varies, fruits, flowers, drinks, and so on”

Shuichi chuckled, “So your name is not Pitaya, right?”

“I go by Korekiyo, Kiyo for short” they explained, “However, to Rantaro I am known as their Pitaya. Even though it is rather strange, It’s very entertaining to watch them give out unique names to everyone, it takes a lot of effort. Don’t you agree?”

 

_Kiyo is really interested in Rantaro, huh? But it’s not in a normal way in a sense? It’s as if they’re studying their behaviour._

 

“Are you studying Sociology?”

“Close, Anthropology. But they do share some similarities. Good eye, little bird”

 

Another nickname?

 

“Er...Are you and Rantaro...close, Kiyo?” The two of them are in a conversation now and he can’t leave them alone. After all, Rantaro is preparing his order and it wouldn’t be long now.

 

“We live together. The two of us are roommates”

“Oh my god—“

“Finish the order”

Rantaro laughed blissfully, “Ah, you’re no fun, Pitaya!”

Cue them sticking their tongue out. They have a tongue piercing.

 

Now Shuichi is curious if they’re in a relationship. Although, anything is possible and they could just be friends living together. Whatever it is, Rantaro and Korekiyo do have a close bond.

No wonder the two of them have such a mysterious vibe.

 

“Special order for the Blueberry themselves!” Rantaro chirped and handed the detective his order. The berry smoothie was the colour of purple, in a clear cup and a blue straw to top it off. The muffin was still warm, aroma only making Shuichi hungrier.

 

“This looks great, thank you!”

“All in work of Avocado and Pitaya!” They beamed and gave Korekiyo a small nudge, “Isn’t that right?”

“Or….What were the other names you have for us? Obsidian and Peridot?”

“I’m Peridot, but I didn’t name you Obsidian, I named no one that actually”

“...Then what was mine? Goodness Amami, there are too many nicknames to keep up with…”

 

Shuichi felt a little awkward, might as well leave the two be and find a seat for themselves.

 

He wasn’t that far from the employees, so he could hear bits and pieces of their conversation. Not purposely eavesdropping, just little phrases that fall into the right moment for him to hear.

 

“The mask was handcrafted from generations ago, from an indigenous tribe deep in the islands. I’m not so sure what their name was...but it wasn’t a pure tribe..”

“As in...they weren’t purebreds. You know how there are tribes that allow rejects and loners? Was it like that?”

“Yes, and each pattern of the mask is based on their background. I believe there’s around 50 in total”

  


Shuichi raised his head, now completely engrossed in the conversation.

 

“How many have you been able to decipher?”

“20 so far”

“Ah! Let me know if you need any assistance with finding any more. After all, you know I’ve travelled to maaaannnyyy areas. I’m always happy to join your studies”

 

_They travel?_

 

“Ah, if you do not mind taking time out of your day to do so. May we talk about your recent trip as well?”

“Yes yes yes! I love talking about my adventures!”

 

Shuichi kept listening to them while eating. Korekiyo went on with the study of the mask while Rantaro added some input. The detective can come to the conclusion that they’ve known each other for a while and understand their way of speech. He noticed how Korekiyo extends his sentences while Rantaro has to stop themselves from going on a tangent.

 

However, no matter how focused they were with each other when the bell rang they had all attention on the customer coming in.

 

“Greetings there, Plum! It’s good to see you back!”

“How is your cat? Is she healing well…?”

 

He enjoys their company, the cafe is nice and the food is amazing! Maybe he will come back.

 

  * ••



 

Shuichi wasn’t in the best mood, it happens with the season and his overall negative thoughts. He didn’t want to leave the house, but it was time for him to pick up some medicine.

 

He didn’t care about his outfit, he threw on warm clothes and a red shirt with a yellow star in the middle. While walking to his destination, he had his earbuds in and listened to whatever music was on his device.

Shuichi did not want to talk to anyone. He found every way to avoid it.

 

Once he finished that, it was time to head back.

Although that building caught his eye once again.

The cafe.

 

_Should I…?_

 

He was supposed to head back yesterday but ended up feeling awful mentally and stayed put. Then that one day turned into a week to not returning.

It’s not like he told them he will be coming back, so they weren’t waiting for him.

While Shuichi was “away”, he was productive, somewhat, watching TV and catching up on shows can be seen as productive to others.

 

“Eh…” he shrugged and headed inside. He will make it quick, get a to-go order and head back home.

 

Shuichi was looking down at the ground the whole time until he made it to the counter with the two familiar employees.

 

“Hey” he looked up, eyes low and duller than before.

 

“Oh, Greetings Shuichi” Korekiyo waved at him, “It’s good to have you back. Is everything alright with you?”

“Yeah...just tired”

 

“Heya, Blueberry!” Rantaro greeted. They flashed a smile before letting out a small gasp of shock.

 

“Blueberry?”

 

“Y-Yes?” He grew a little worried, was there something wrong?

Why were they pointing at his shirt?

“Is that a Steven Universe shirt?!”

 

_Oh._

 

Shuichi forgot that he put this on. He paid no mind to his attire and was only going to pick up medicine. No one stopped him and mentioned this shirt, he had it for years now.

 

“....Yes”

“That’s...a show Rantaro and I both enjoy,” Korekiyo said. Meanwhile, the green-haired employee stared at the shirt in awe.

 

“I...I love that show, so much” they whispered, trying to contain all of the excitement, “I-I...the new episode! I started crying! It was soooo good!”

 

“Ah! Me too! Before it was live, I binge-watched the whole thing!”

“Ah man! That’s what I did last month so I can get Pitaya here into it. They really enjoy it and we both own Cookie Cat shirts!”

 

And before he knew it, the three of them were talking about the cartoon. He wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but it was entertaining and lifted his mood.

Even though Korekiyo was speaking about it the calmest, there was a small raise to their voice when they went in depth with the meaning of certain scenes. Rantaro would bounce a bit and be rather animated with their explanations.

 

Finally, Shuichi met others to talk about one of his favourite shows with!

Maybe he can talk about the other…?

 

“Ah! Let me order!” Thankfully there was no line behind him and didn’t want to accidentally start one.

 

“Would you like a Donut?” Rantaro smirked at him playfully.

That...made his chest feel a little weird. He never realised how good-looking they were until that smile appeared.

 

“...Cookies, Chocolate chip, please. Surprise me with the type of chocolate. I’ll take two of them. In a bag please!”

 

“Coming right up!” Rantaro was about to make their way to the back until Korekiyo held onto their shirt.

 

“I’ll take care of it, you can stay where you are”

Rantaro blinked blankly.

“Er...Okay! Make sure they’re special for Blueberry here!”

 

Shuichi mumbled to himself shyly.

 

Korekiyo went off to complete the order for Shuichi. He was expecting them to get two cookies up front and handed over, takes two seconds! Instead, they went into the back.

 

_What are they doing?_

 

“Hey, Blueberry?”

“Hmm?” Shuichi tilted his head to the side.

“Can we...keep talking about the show? It’s nice to have a conversation with someone else about it. Don’t get me wrong! I love talking about it with Pitaya, but I’m sure they get annoyed with me sometimes, haha!”

“You’re not annoying” he assured, “The two of you are fun to talk to!”

 

“Oooooh, I’m not that fun!”

“I heard you two talking about that mask and travelling!”

“Yeeaaahh” he shrugged, “I do travel a bit, but their talk about Anthropology is much cooler than my travels”

 

Shuichi snorted,

 

“Listen here,  _Peridot_ ”

“Hey! It’s the green hair! That’s why I’m called that!”

 

They began talking about the show once more. As they kept going, he noticed Korekiyo still wasn’t appearing. Were they making fresh cookies? If so, why? He only needs two.

 

Oh well, there’s no other customers coming and he’s not bothering Rantaro.

So they kept talking.

After a couple of minutes, he didn’t talk as much as allowed Rantaro to speak instead.

 

Shuichi was more of a listener, then he’s able to take in their features and voice.

He really enjoyed it.

 

About ten minutes passed and Korekiyo returned with a white bag in their grasp.

 

“Freshly baked”

“Thank you! O-Oh! I haven’t given you the mon—“

“On the house, in return for cheering up my dear friend,” Korekiyo nodded at him, “Till you return”

 

“Ah yes! Bye, you two!”

“Bye Blueberry!”

 

That definitely made the rest of his day better. He sort of regretted leaving and not staying for a little longer.

 

Once he made it to his apartment, he took no time to go through the bag and retrieve his cookies.

 

_Huh_

 

There’s not two in here...there’s three? And a piece of paper?

 

“Interesting…” he took the paper out first. There was writing on it...numbers….

 

A phone number?

 

“Is this Korekiyo’s?” That’s the first person who came into mind, they did prepare the order! Why would they give him their number?

 

“...I guess I will...text them”

Texting is easier for him than talking, so he pulled out his phone and sent a text to this number.

 

_—Hello? Who is this?_

 

Great start, maybe he should add more so it doesn’t seem as creepy.

 

_—Ah Sorry, I had this number saved and I don’t know who it is_

 

This happened to Shuichi before, so it wasn’t as bad!

 

_???: This is Rantaro Amami. Is this Grape Panta?_

 

Shuichi stiffened.

It’s Rantaro’s number?! Did Korekiyo make a mistake? Did they have similar numbers?! He wasn’t sure what to do…

 

_—This is…_

_—Blueberry_

 

_???: Blueberry?!_

_Hello! How in the world did you get my number?! XD_

 

Blink Blink

That was cute.

 

— _There was a number in my bag of cookies, I thought it was Korekiyo’s and mixed the numbers up._

 

_???: Huh? No, our numbers are completely different. I can’t believe they actually did that_

_Sorry!_

 

_—It’s Fine! Is it okay if I save it? We can…_

_Talk about SU_

 

_???: No wonder they did that_

_Go ahead :3_

_And that’s great! Oh, have you ever watched Gravity Falls?_

 

“A-Ah!” Shuichi started to giggle from their question. First of all, the way they text Shuichi is quite adorable. Secondly, Rantaro is a fan of cartoons!

 

_And everyone says it’s childish! Whatever!_

 

He doesn’t care that he’s a young adult in college, they make him happy. It isn’t hurting anyone…

 

Shuichi saved the number and replied to them.

 

_—I do! What about Star Vs the Forces of Evil?_

 

_Ran-chan: YES!_

_I watch a shit-ton of cartoons, lol._

_Sorry again for the language_

 

_—Nah, you’re fine_

_Oh...I heard you talking about Doctor Who. Not a cartoon but I enjoyed the show as well_

 

That’s when they began their intense conversation.

  


  * ••



 

“Rantaro, you have an AM class, why are you still up?”

“I’m talking to Shuichi!!”

“Still?”

“Yeah! We were talking about shows and then went on about some places we went to. Apparently, they really like the beach”

 

“Seems like you found yourself a new best friend”

“Hey! Are you jealous?” Although their tone was joyful, they were worried about their friend.

“You’re the one who gave them my number”

“Me? No, I am not. I think it’s nice that you are talking to someone to keep your mind off of…” their voice trailed off.

 

Rantaro knew exactly what they were talking about.

 

“The...death of my sister” they sighed, “Ah...I know it’s been over a month but…”

“Grieving takes time, my friend. There’s no time limit on how long you can do so. Do not fret, I’m sure that her spirit is watching over you. You meant the world to her, she would want you to be happy”

  


“...That dreaded car accident” Rantaro shuddered, “I...I don’t think I can ever touch another car again”

 

Korekiyo didn’t speak.

 

“Ah...Sorry, Kiyo. I know I’ve been bothering you with my rambling on random shit, I usually do this with her…”

 

“I told you, there’s no point in apologising. You have expanded my scope with fresh new entertainment to watch and read. It does help my studies. It is completely harmless”

 

“...Tha— Oh!” They went back to their phone and sent a quick text.

 

“The both of you have really been helping my mood. Shuichi doesn’t know but...they really do help out”

“Maybe you should see if they want to hang out with you. Perhaps pay a small visit? Watch all of those shows that you two talk about”

 

Rantaro nodded,

“Yeah, that’s a good idea…”

 

  * ••



 

“Here you go, have a nice day Lavender!”

The timid woman nodded,

“A-Ah, you two are s-so nice…”

“Heh! It’s nothing! Just remember if anyone messes with you again, let me know so I can give them a nice talk”

“H-Heh...thank you!!”

They went back over to the counter, eyeing at Korekiyo who was cleaning out the blender.

 

“Have you—“

“Your Little Blueberry has not appeared yet”

“They’re not...my Blueberry”

“If you say so”

 

It’s been a couple of days since Shuichi came back to the cafe. The two of them still texted but never made mention about coming back to the cafe.

They would nudge the suggestion, although Rantaro did not want to come off as clingy.

 

“Sorry...I miss them”

“At this rate, you’re going to be whining like a puppy since you miss Shuichi so much. You’ve become rather attached to them quickly”

 

“I told you already, I enjoy talking to Shuichi. Then once they come by again, I can see if they’re interested in what you suggested”

 

_Ding ding ding!_

 

The two turned around.

That’s when one of them let out a gasp.

 

“Blueberry!”

But this time they didn’t come alone.

Someone else was with them.

 

“Hi, Ran-chan!” Shuichi hurried over to the counter with their friend closeby. Hearing that nickname brought joy in their chest. Sure, they’ve read it in the texts, but this felt extra special when spoken out loud.

“So this is Rantaro? You’re right, they are cute!”

 

“E-Excuse me?!”

Korekiyo chuckled lightly and kept cleaning.

“The new face is not wrong”

 

“K-Kiyo!”

“Kaede! They weren’t supposed to know that!”

“It's true, they are! My name is Kaede Akamatsu, A friend of Shuichi. He’s mentioned you a lot recently, so I decided to check this back out!”

“And there she goes...telling them my business” he muttered, “K-Kaede, please!"

“Hey, you have! He said that the food here is excellent and you two are really nice!”

 

“It’s a pleasure to have new customers in this humble cafe”

“Oh! You must be Kiyo!”

“That is me, welcome”

 

Kaede squealed in delight.

“I’ll take a cheesecake! That one right there” She pointed at the one covered by the glass, “And a small coffee. You can add lots of cream and sugar”

 

“And I will have two cookies and a small coffee as well, not as much cream and sugar though”

 

“Rantaro, may you handle the money? I will prepare the food for them”

They nodded.

 

“I’ll go get a table for us!”

“I’ll meet you there, I’m going to talk to Rantaro for a bit”

 

They noticed a smirk from the female.

“Oh Really now? Haaaave fun~”

“Kaede…!”

“Ha! I’m just messing around!”

She waved them goodbye and ventured off to an empty table.

 

"Sorry about that. She is really sweet, don't worry"

“...Peach! I’ll call her Peach!” Rantaro declared.

“Haha! I was looking forward to hearing your nicknames!”

“She’s a real peach! How have you been? Is everything alright? I know I texted you and all but…”

“Fine fine, I’m finally able to go back to my internship, everything is all cleaned up in the Agency”

 

“Oh! That reminds me…” Rantaro averted their eyes away from Shuichi for a moment.

Was this a good idea?

 

“Can I...uh...maybe head to your place one day? We can watch cartoons and whatnot. I’ll bring some food and DVDs”

Shuichi tilted his head.

“So...a date?”

“I-I uh...I mean?! Not really? You could call it that…” They pushed up their glasses nervously, “Or just a get-together!

Korekiyo snickered in the background.  
What a great friend.

"If you’re not comfortable, then that’s fine by me! I can’t do my place, Korekiyo has been studying for some exams lately and I don’t want to get in the way”

 

“I...I mean...sure! We can do it tonight if you’re free! Stop by...anytime after you close? I can text you my address”

“G-Great! I will see you there!”

 

  * ••



 

Nervous as ever.

Shuichi always gets nervous when someone wants to come over, no matter how many times they stop by. With Rantaro having their first visit, it made it even more nerve-wracking.

 

He cleaned every nook and cranny, corners spotless, any traces of his medication and detective work out of the picture, and finishing it off with some scented candles.

 

“They said they would text me once they make it here…” he plopped himself on the floor and waited for a message to appear on his phone. He really wanted to see them and enjoy their binge watching of shows. Shuichi even wore one of Graphic Tees with a small orange kitten next to a white and brown mutt dog with sunshades.

 

_Ran-Chan: Hey, I’m here_

 

Here comes Shuichi hurrying up on his feet and opening the door for them.

Might have tripped a couple of times in the process...

 

“H-hey!”

“Yo!” Rantaro reached for the top of his head and gave Shuichi’s hair a nice ruffle.

“Ran-Chan!”

 

“Sorry! I brought snacks and a couple of drinks. Forgot the DVDs though... Where do you want me to put them?”

“On the floor in front of the TV is fine, make yourself at home”

They laughed lightly, taking off their shoes and heading further into the apartment.

 

_So far so good_

 

“Hey, is this a flag?”

 

_OH FUCK_

 

Shuichi hasn’t had any new visitors in a while, so they were all familiar with the flag that hung in his wall. However, he never thought about taking it down! It’s not something he shares publicly.

 

Rantaro saw the transgender flag hanging on his wall. It was a gift given to Maki who she gave to both him and Kaede.

 

“Is this for you?”

Shuichi hesitated.

“Uh…”

“Or for a friend?”

 

“...Both? But it was a gift. Yeah...I’m Trans Male”

“Ah” Their smile that seems to never leave grew bigger.

“Nonbinary, same with Korekiyo. Don't worry, they don’t mind that you know”

 

_Oh...wow, that’s reassuring._

 

“Do you have flags of your own?” Shuichi pulled out a blanket in a basket for Rantaro and handed it over to them.

“We both bought little buttons recently, soon enough we will have it with our aprons. Do you want me to purchase you one?”

“Nah! It’s fine, but thank you”

 

He went over to the TV and turned it on.

 

“Now, we have a whole night ahead of us! What do you want to watch?”

“Your shirt makes me want to watch Disney movies. My sister and I watched them all the time! Do you have any?”

“I do! Any recommendations”

“I’m fine with anything! Just throw in whatever”

 

“Hold on…” Shuichi pulled out a random DVD in his collection and set everything up. Now it’s time to begin...the date?

 

_Get-together! I don’t know why I even said date!_

 

Kaede teased him the whole way back to his apartment about this “date”. Whatever it is, he’s excited to spend it with Rantaro.

 

Shuichi took his own blanket and sat down next to them. He didn’t want to get too close, he wasn’t sure what were their comfort levels with personal space.

That and Shuichi was not a fan of getting so close to others.

The two were quiet while watching the movie. They laughed whenever it was appropriate, point out a couple of things they didn’t remember from previous viewings, and scooted closer bit by bit.

 

Shuichi never realised it, he was busy with the movies.

 

Once one was done, he would crawl over and put in another. This went on for three movies in total until he got tired of nothing back and forth.

 

“Steven Universe? I have episodes saved”

“You bet!”

 

That’s better, now he only had to worry about the remote with changing anything and can stay close to Rantaro.

 

Whenever there was a song, Rantaro would hum it calmly and scoot closer to him.

They had a nice humming voice, it brought a calm and cool feeling in his chest and have him focus on that than the show instead.

 

“Why don't you let yourself just be wherever you are…” Shuichi muttered. This felt great.

Just the two of them, not worrying about anything in the outside world and feeling content.

 

_I do not have to worry about any shit at the moment...just the shows and Rantaro..._

 

Before he knew it, their weight grew heavier and heavier on him.

 

“...Huh?”

They fell asleep.

 

Rantaro rested their head on his shoulder, eyes closed shut and glasses falling in the process. They must’ve had a long day today and needed the rest.

Shuichi was still wide awake, but won’t bother to move and wake them up.

 

“Hmm…” he purred and snuggled closer to them. In response, they buried their head deeper into his shoulder and snored lightly.

“You can stay here, Ran-chan…” he turned off the episode on and picked up his phone. Shuichi had a feeling he received messages from Kaede about the “date”.

 

“Huh?”

There was a message, but not from Kaede.

 

_???: This is Korekiyo._

 

“...”

 

_—Hello, how did you get my number?_

 

_???: I have my ways,_

_How is Amami?_

 

_—Passed Out._

 

_???: They haven’t been sleeping well, I’m glad they are now_

_How did it go?_

 

_—It went nice, they’re a pleasure to be around_

 

_???: They are, I am indeed blessed to be their friend. Do you feel the same?_

 

_—Yea_

_I do_

_Are you gonna come pick them up?_

 

_???: I plan to_

_Is that an issue?_

 

_—Ah,_

_Can they stay? You can continue studying and everything_

 

_???: Sure, if they keep sleeping_

 

_“....”_

 

_—Thanks, hope your studying goes well_

 

_Kiyo Pitaya: Goodnight, Shuichi_


End file.
